A Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) grant will provide more than 1,400 entries to sport and recreation facilities and programmes for not-for-profit organisations and charities this year.

Recipients have been selected for the annual Get Active Community Grant after an application process earlier this year, QLDC community partnerships wellbeing advisor Samantha Saccomanno said.

“We enjoyed going through all the applications in detail and were able to give out 1,462 passes to a real variety of community groups catering to different ages and needs across the district,” Samantha said.

“It’s a great way to get people into sport and recreation who might otherwise not have the opportunity.”

The passes cover everything from pool entry to sports like pickleball, badminton and table tennis.

In total, 12 organisations will receive free passes through the grant, this year, including ADL, Community LINK, Kāhu Youth Trust, MINT Charitable Trust, PACT and more.

“Sport, recreation and play are essential for one's health and wellbeing,” Samantha said.

“This grant provides the opportunity for community members to access our facilities who otherwise wouldn’t have had the means.

“We’re looking forward to helping promote an active lifestyle and increase participation at our sport and recreation facilities via the Get Active Community Grant passes.”

The Get Active Community Grant passes will be valid for one year running from September 1 2024 to August 31, 2025. 

In addition to the new Get Active Community Grant, QLDC offers a range of ‘in kind’ support for local events, fundraising and community projects across the district, Samantha said.

This includes council venue, reserves or equipment hire; regulatory, resource consent and permitting fees; and vouchers that can be used as prizes in raffles or silent auctions.

More information about these options is available here.

PHOTO: QLDC